The
Congregation for Bishops takes lists of names of potential candidates
for bishop and whittles them down to a short list that's then sent to
the pope for final approval. According to John L. Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter,
while the pope is technically not bound by the congregation's
recommendations, he nonetheless usually selects their top choice when a
position opens up. Consequently, the group plays a huge role in shaping
the direction and ideological makeup of the Catholic hierarchy.

Cardinal Burke is still Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial body in the Roman Catholic Church, but his conservatives proclivities are likely to be curbed by Pope Francis. The pope has counseled simplicity in liturgical dress to Roman Catholic clergy and shown by example that he is serious, so the elaborate and flamboyant vestments may be relegated to the dustbin of history. Still, I won't hold my breath. As you view the series of pictures of the cardinal in silk and lace at the link above, remember I had them first in my long-running series of posts with pictures here on "Wounded Bird". Google search conveniently gathered the posts together into one link.

What other changes are in the offing? Who knows if liturgical
fashions will be never be the same? What a loss! I shall dress in mourning
black...with a bit of lace and matching black gloves.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, an American prelate and a divisive leader
of the Catholic Church's conservative wing, was today removed from a
prestigious Vatican congregation that helps the pope select new bishops.
The
Congregation for Bishops takes lists of names of potential candidates
for bishop and whittles them down to a short list that's then sent to
the pope for final approval. According to John L. Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter,
while the pope is technically not bound by the congregation's
recommendations, he nonetheless usually selects their top choice when a
position opens up. Consequently, the group plays a huge role in shaping
the direction and ideological makeup of the Catholic hierarchy.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, an American prelate and a divisive leader
of the Catholic Church's conservative wing, was today removed from a
prestigious Vatican congregation that helps the pope select new bishops.
The
Congregation for Bishops takes lists of names of potential candidates
for bishop and whittles them down to a short list that's then sent to
the pope for final approval. According to John L. Allen Jr. of the National Catholic Reporter,
while the pope is technically not bound by the congregation's
recommendations, he nonetheless usually selects their top choice when a
position opens up. Consequently, the group plays a huge role in shaping
the direction and ideological makeup of the Catholic hierarchy.

Savita Halappanavar, 31, a dentist who was 17 weeks pregnant, went to the hospital with back pain on October 21.

Her husband Praveen Halappanavar said she was told she was miscarrying, and after one day of severe pain she asked for a medical termination.But her repeated requests were refused for three days, he said, because the foetal heartbeat was still present and they said they were legally unable to perform the abortion.

Mr Halappanavar said his wife was "in agony" the whole time.

Eventually the foetal heartbeat stopped and the foetus was removed. But Ms Halappanavar was by now seriously ill, and was taken to the high dependency unit and then the intensive care unit, where she died of septicaemia (blood poisoning triggered by infection) a week after she first arrived at the hospital.

How does allowing Ms Halappanavar to die "reduce the evils which attack human life". Where is compassion in the cardinal's judgement? He says Ms Halappanavar's death was tragic, but, according to the Vatican rules, there was nothing to be done by the doctors but stand by and watch her die. I'm sick and tired of the Vatican's interference in the governance of countries around the world. I hope the politicians in Ireland vote their consciences and put a stop to such barbarous treatment in Irish hospitals.

And if the cardinal thinks so highly of the integrity of marriage, why isn't he married?

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Yes, I’m a Protestant from a very low-church Baptist tradition. And, yes, I’m sure that explains a measure of my befuddlement over this photograph. But not all of it, because, well, just look at it.

I can only guess that this is a ceremonial costume. It surely does not seem to be anything one might wear for practical reasons.

If the splendid vestments point the worshippers to God, then fine, but if the elegant satin and lace serve as adornments for humans (in the Roman Catholic Church, men only) in a way that indicates the wearers are special in the eyes of God, then it's all wrong. I showed my posts on Cardinal Burke's liturgical fashions to my friend, and she said she liked them...well maybe not all of them. I believe the red vestment is the cappa magna which has a 20 foot train. I hadn't see the puffiness in the back before now.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

We've seen Cardinal Raymond Burke wearing splendid red and green vestments, and now we see him arrayed in purple Lenten vestments. Once again the cardinal wears the tall, gold mitre. After clicking on the link above, scroll down to see all the posts on the Cardinal Burke.

Orbis Catholicus Secundus reports that American Cardinal [Raymond]Burke celebrated a Pontifical Mass at the Lenten Stational Church of San Nicola in Carcere (St Nicholas in prison) with outdoor penitential procession and chanting of the Litany of Saints. San Nicola in Carcere is one of the traditional stational churches of Lent.

For the procession, His Eminence wore a very tall golden mitre (mitra aurifregiata), and a penitential purple cope bearing the coat of arms of Pius IX. For the Mass, he wore another tall white mitre and a purple chasuble and Pontifical gloves (chirothecœ). The use of episcopal gloves became customary at Rome probably in the 10th century. Most of these liturgical vestments have been rarely seen after the Pauline changes of the last ‘60s. The revised Caeremoniale Episcoporum no longer imposes on bishops the use of episcopal gloves.

I wanted you to see the gloves, which all too often seem to be not quite the right color and tend to clash with the other vestments. These chirothecœ are the best match I've seen yet. The vestments may seem somewhat splendiferous for the Lenten period, but think of it this way: Lent is a time of fasting, so the people who attend the services at least get to feast their eyes on colorful silk and beautiful lace during the penitential season.

Cardinal Burke explains the attraction of masses with elaborate pageantry and lavish vestments in the video below which was posted on the website of the National Catholic Reporter.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A leading Catholic cardinal at the Vatican has essentially said that
complying the with Obama birth control mandate would have Catholics and
Catholic organizations participating in sin.The mandate compels religious employers to pay for birth control and
drugs that may cause abortions in health coverage for their employees
and a revised mandate will compel them to refer employees for free
coverage from their health insurance plans, which will eventually have
the payment mandate.

In an upcoming episode of Catholic Action Insight hosted by Thomas
McKenna to air on EWTN on Wednesday, Cardinal Raymond Burke speaks out
for the first time on the controversial mandate.

I can't wait for the EWTN episode.

Speaking of sin, the clashing colors of His Eminence's vestments against the clashing green of the throne are surely an ecclesiastical fashion sin. Help!

Yes,
I think we’re well on the way to it," he said, pointing to
areas of social outreach - such as adoption and foster care - where
the Church has had to withdraw rather than compromise its
principles.

This trend could reach a point where the Church,
"even by announcing her own teaching," is accused of
"engaging in illegal activity, for instance, in its teaching on
human sexuality."

What about the red vestments?

H/T to Charles Pierce at The Politics Blog for the links to the latest on the 'Clan of the Red Beanie'.

UPDATE: Ann V sent me the link to a post by Armando at Daily Kos titled, 'Is Walgreens committing a sin by selling condoms?' According to the words of His Eminence, I can't see how not. Strip the shelves!

UPDATE 2: I asked my expert consultant on ecclesiastical
vestments if the objects on either side of the Cardinal Raymond Burke's
hat were pom-poms, and he replied that they were "the tassels that hang
down the side of a cardinal's hat, apparently sutured into place on top
of the hat". There you have it. The cardinal's hat may be a galero.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

What can I say? I asked my expert consultant on ecclesiastical vestments if the objects on either side of the Cardinal Raymond Burke's hat were pom-poms, and he replied that they were "the tassels that hang down the side of a cardinal's hat, apparently sutured into place on top of the hat". There you have it.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

From the archives of the New York Times. Click on the text for the larger view.

In the comments to my earlier post on the picture below of Roman Catholic Cardinal Raymond Burke presiding at the ordination of deacons, we discussed the gloves that the cardinal wears. I thought perhaps there was a special ecclesiastical name for the gloves, but they are simply ecclesiastical gloves, though a fascinating accessory, surely.

I'd like to know the date of the archived response to the query in the New York Times.

Of course, the questions about the cardinal's gloves are hardly of earth-shaking importance, but I was intrigued by them and wanted to know more about the ecclesiastical accessories.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Look, I know I am a hypocrite. I have not given away all my worldly goods to the poor to follow Jesus, but may we still speak of excess, excess to the point of hilarity? And kissing the ring? Don't get me started.

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On occasion, Wounded Bird, indulges in irony.

"I hope that I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can."Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen